Centrifugal separator



C. F. PAUL, JR.

CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15; 1921.

avwentoz Patented Mar. 14,1922.

UNITED STATES PA-TENT OFFICE.

CHRISTIAN 1?. PAUL, JB., 01 AUSTIN, TEXAS, ASSIGE'OR TO ERNEST NALLE, W. I. ALLEN, AND ED. BOSENGBEN, TRUSTEES, ALL OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.

,CENTRIFUGAL snrana'ron.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 15, 1921. Serial No. 477,858.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LCHRISTIAN F. PAUL, J r., a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Austin, in the county of Travis and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Centrifual Separators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to centrifugal devices for separating liquid mixtures, emulsions;and the like, and its chief object is to provide a simple and efiicient apparatus for separating a heavy oil, such as petroleum, from an acid, for example sulfuric, with which the oil has been mixed or emulsified as a clarifying or decolorizing agent, as in the method described in my copending application Serial No. 477,856. It has been found particularly difiicult to effect a clean separation in such cases, but the novelfeatures of my present invention enable me to obtain. the desired results in a rapid and effective manner.

One form of the invention, designed especially for the purpose referred to, is .illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which the figure shows my improved separator partly in side elevation and partly in vertical central section.

In general the separator consists of arevolving head containing a plurality of concentric annular chambers through which the mixture or emulsion flows upwardly and downwardly in-alternation, following the vertical inner and outer surfaces or walls of the chambers. In this flow of the mixture the lighter constituents tend to take the inner path and the heavier constituents the outer path, finally emerging in two separate streams.

In th present embodiment the separating head comprises a hollow carrier 10, substantially conical in form, having at its apex a tapered opening fitting tightly the correspondingly tapered upper end of a vertical driving shaft 11 on which the head is removably secured by means of a nut 12. The

shaft itself rotates in upper ball bearings 13 carried in the upper end of a hollow conical standard 14 the outwardly flaring lower end of which rests on the top 15 of the chamber 16. At its lower end the shaft is fixed to a cone 17 constituting a friction clutch member. The other member is the conically recessed annulus 18, connected with a rotary driving device 19, the outer portion of which constitutes a pulley, rotated by a suitable belt, not shown. The part 19 houses an improved supporting and actuating mechanism for the shaft 11, which forms the subject of my copending application Serial No. 477,860. At the axis of the device 19 is a vertically movable stem 20 upon the upper end of which rests a hardened steel plug 21 set in the lower end of the shaft 11. The lower end of the stem is connected to the short arm of a lever 22, fulcrumed at 23 and connected at the end of its longer arm to the lower end of a vertical rod 24 which is threaded atits upper end to receive an axially stationary nut 25 mounted to rotate in a collar 26 on the side of the housing 27. The parts just described are provided for the purpose of starting and bringing up to speed the separating head (in part composed of the carrier 10) which in large units may weight several thousand pounds. When it is desired to start the apparatus the nut 25 is turned to rock the lever 22 counterclockwise, thereby raising the stem 20. This lifts the cone 17 out of the clutch member 18, so that the device 19 can be started and brought up to the desired speed. The nht is then turned back, to lower the stem 20, thus letting the cone 17 gradually into its seat. As the clutch begins to take hold it imparts motion to the shaft 11 and the load carried thereby, at first slowly, then faster and faster as the cone 17 seats itself, until finall the slippage of the clutch ceases and bot members rotate together. In this way the apparatus can be started without the strains or other injury that might result from the enormous inertia of its operative parts and the corresponding amount of energy that otherwise would be required to set such parts in motion. By the method described, but little, if any, more energy is needed to start the machine and bring it up -to speed than is required to keep it running after the desired speed has been attained.

The rear wall of the chamber 16 may have a horizontally elongated opening over which is fitted a closure 28 (held in any convenient manner, not shown) which is shorter than the opening so as to leave at each end of the latter a vertical slot for the driving belt. One of thes slots is shown at 29.

The bottom 30 of the separating bowl or head has a centrally apertured conical ele- Patented Mar. 14., 1922;

, rated is supplied to the pipe fifimuter wall (39) and top supports a cover 34 in the form of a flat.

cone having at its apex a wide neck 35.

Surrounding the conical carrier 10 and securely fixed thereto is an inlet chamber 36,

having discharge openings 37 in its lower portion and having its upper portion coristructed to form an inlet pipe 38. Between casings 36 and 32 arefour cylindrical casings 39, 40, 41, 42. Casing 41 has a conical bottom fixed to the bottom 30 and at its top is provided with an inwardly extending up-.

wardly inclined flange 43. Casing 39 has a similar flange 44 and has a conical bottom fixed between the lower end of casing 36 and the bottom of casing 41. Casing 40 has a conical top fixed on the innermost casing 36, and at its lower edge has an inwardly and upwardly extending flange 45 spaced above the bottom of casing 41. Casing 42 has a flange 46 at its lower edge and has a conical top 47' secured to the top of the casing 40 and having at its apex a neck 48 snugly embracing the inlet tube or neck 38.

At its top, casing 39 carries a circippiegential series of tubes 49, which communicate at their inner ends with the interior of the casing mentioned and at their outer ends are 0 en close to the inner surface of casing 40. Similar discharge tubes 50, 51, 52, are provided at the top of casing 41 and at the bottom of casings 40 and 42, respectively.

Between the covers 34 and 47 is a conical partition 53, having at its apex a neck 53, surrounding but spaced from the neck '48. The partition named provides two conical passages, 54, 55, the latter discharging into the neck 35 which in turn discharges into the flat chamber 56 provided with the lower discharge spout 57.. The passage 54 discharges into neck 53 which in turn delivers its efliuent into the chamber 58 equipped with the, upper spout 59.

It will of course be understood that the chambers 27, 56 and 58 are stationary.

The emulsion or other mixtureto be sepa- 38 at a suitable rate-and enters the first annular chamber through the openings 37. Here separation begins, the heavier ingredient seeking the escaping through the tubes 49 while the lighter ingredient takes an inner path and escapes over the edge ofv 56 and thence passes to the discharge spout communication with the inner surface of the wall 32 and entering passage 55 above the separator or partition 53. rom this passage the heavier ingredient overflows neck 35 into the chamber 7O 57. At the same time the lighter ingredient rises along theouter surface of wall 42 into passage 54, thence overflowing neck 53 into chamber 58 and flowing to discharge spout 59.

The size and proportions of the various parts may be varied, but for use in the process described in my copending application Serial N 0. 477,856, hereinbefore mentioned. 1 have secured good results with a machine in which the outer revolving wall 32 is about four and a half feet in diameter. A bowl of this size, running at a speed of 3000 R. P. M. or higher, gives a notably clean separation, the discharge from the lower spout 57 being a heavy sludgy ortarry material containing practically all the excess acid, and that from the upper spout being light colored translucent oil having a slightly acid reaction.

I do not claim hereinthe supporting and driving parts indicated at 17, 18, 19, since these are described in more detail and are claimed in my copending application Serial No. 477,860.

I claim: I

1. In a centrifugal separator, in combination, a plurality of concentric cylindrical walls spaced radially apart to form a series of co-axial chambers through all of which a liquid mixture may flow in succession and separate according to the specific gravities of its constituents, said chambers being in each other at top and bottom alternately, means associated with said chambers for permitting the lighter constituent to escape only at points adjacent to the inner wall of each chamber and pass thence into the succeeding chamber and means associated with said chambers for permitting the heavier constituent to escape only at points adjacent to the outer walls of the chambers.

2. In a centrifugal separator, in combination, a pair of co-axial cylindrical shells spaced apart radially to provide an annular 115 separating chamber between them; a plurality of tubes arranged in a circumferential row around and carried by one of. the shells, said tubes extendin radially outward and adapted to convey liquid from inside the 12 shell and discharge it at points relatively remote from the shell; a similar row of tubes carried by the other shell at the other end thereof; an inwardly extending flange on one of the shells at one end thereof; and an inwardly extending flange at the other end of the other shell.

3. in a centrifugal separator, in combination, a pair of co-axisl ylindrical shells spaced apart radially vi'orm an annular 130 chamber between them; a circumferential series of radially extending tubes carried by the inner shell at one end thereof to receive liquid from. inside of said inner shell and discharge the same at points adjacent to the outer shell, and a flange at the opposite end of the outer shell, said flange extending radially inward toward the inner shell but leaving an annular space around the latter for the escape of liquid.

4. In a centrifugal separator, in combination, a plurality of concentric cylindrical walls spaced apart radially to form a plurality of co-axial annular separating chambers; inwardly extending flanges at the upper edges of alternate walls, each leaving an annular space between the flange and the next adjacent inner Wall; radially extending delivery tubes at the bottom of said alternate wallsjor conveying liquid from the inner surfaces of such'walls and discharging the same at points adjacent to the next outer wall; inwardly extending flanges at the lower edges of the'intermediate walls, each leaving an annular space between the flange and the next adjacent'inner wall; radially extending delivery tubes at the top of the intermediate walls for conveying liquid from the inner surfaces of such walls and discharging the same at points adjacent to the next outer wall; means for conducting away separately the liquid delivered through the last annular space and the liquid delivered by the last tubes; and means for rotating the said separating chambers.

5. In a centrifugal separator, in combination, a plurality of co-axial cylindrical shells spaced radially apart to form concentric annular chambers, closed at the top but open at the bottom; co-axial cylindrical shells between the first-named shells to form concentric annular chambers therebetween; means for conveying heavy liquid from the outer wall of each chamber to the outer wall of the next outer chamber; means permitting light liquid to flow from chamber to chamber along the inner walls thereof; means associated with the last chamber for carrying off the heavy and light liquids separately, and means for rotating said shells.

6. In a centrifugal separator, in combination, a cylindrical shell forming a central receivingchamber of cylindrical form with its axis vertical, and provided with a plurality of outlet openings in its lower portion; a second cylindrical shell outside of and co-axial with the central shell to form a separating chamber between them, said second shell having at its lower edge a flange closing the bottom of said chamber and having at its upper edge a flange extending inwardly toward the first shell to leave an annular passage around the latter; a circumferential series of radial discharge tubes carried by the second shell near the top thereof below said flange to convey liquid from inside the annular chamber near the outer wall thereof and discharge the liquid at points relatively remote from the said wall; a third shell concentric with the second, having at its top a cover extending over the second shell to the first, and having at its bottom an inwardly extending flange to provide an annular passage around the second shell, the third shell having also a circumferential series of radial discharge tubes to receive liquid inside such shell at the inner surface thereof and discharge the liquid at points relatively remote from the shell; means for carrying away separately the liquids discharged through the last-mentioned annular passage and the liquid discharged through the last mentioned series of tubes; and means for rotating the shells.

7. In a centrifugal separator, combination, an outer shell of cylindrical form having a closed bottom and an upwardly conical top having a discharge opening at its apex; a cylindrical shell inside of the first, co-axial therewith but spaced radially therefrom, its lower end spaced from the bottom of the first, and having a conical top spaced from the top of the first and provided with a neck extending upwardly through and spaced from the edge of said discharge opening; a conical sepa rator between the tops of the said shells and having at its apex a neck extending upwardly through saiddischarge opening butspaced from the edge of the latter and from the other neck; a series of concentric cylindrical inner shells inside of the secondmentioned shell, extending from the bottom of the outer shell but having their upper edges spaced from the top of said second shell; a series of inner cylindrical concentric shells extending'downwardly from the top of the second shell but having their lower edges spaced from the bottom of the latter; the shells providing a series of concentric separating chambers communicating at top and bottom alternately; means for conducting relatively heavy liquid from the outer wall of one chamber to the outer wall of the next throughout the series; means for conducting relatively light liquid from the inner wall of one chamber to the inner wall of the next throughout the series; and means for rotating the chambers.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

CHRISTIAN F. PAUL, .ln. 

